


Connected

by Alice_Kingsly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angry Kylo Ren, Blood and Injury, Crash Landing, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Use, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Medicine, Nursing, Original Character(s), Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-03-17 10:24:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13657047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alice_Kingsly/pseuds/Alice_Kingsly
Summary: Injured Kylo Ren lands on an unknown planet, where he meets another force-sensitive person…





	1. Falling

Kylo thought that everything was under control. He shot down three Resistance ships, and he wasn’t going to stop on that. His aim was there, right before his very eyes, and there was nothing that could stop Kylo form fulfilling his plans.

Everything went wrong when the Resistance got reinforcement, and a few new ships began surrounding Ren on all sides.

Kylo sighed. He had a very bad feeling about that…

Before he made a decision, the microphone switched on with a loud nasty noise, and Hux said:

“I’m sorry to say that, Supreme Leader, but we cannot shield you. The distance is too big…”

Hux’s joy and delight was so clear than even the noise couldn’t hide it.

“Shit,” Ren muttered, clenching his teeth. Kylo wasn’t sure what irritated him the most – the microphone’s noise or Hux, but he knew one thing: If he survived that day, he would strangle General Hux with his bare hands. It would bring Ren such a pleasure…

Kylo thought that everything was fine, until the control system failed, betraying him. Ren avoided the pursuit by using light speed, but it didn’t solve his problems. The ship began stalling. Kylo looked at the monitor, examining the nearest planets. He needed to find the place to land. Ren was a good pilot, but he knew that the ship wouldn’t fly for too long.

Before Kylo examined the map, the ship exploded, leaving him no time for making decisions. Ren swore again and set a new course by entering the last coordinates he had noticed. Kylo hoped that his ship would survive the landing. He must have that chance, he must survive…

When the ship exploded again, Kylo realized he had made a mistake by entering wrong numbers.

 

* * *

 

 

The day was good, and the sky was clear, cloudless, bright-blue. The air was fresh, almost sweet, and Keia dismissed all servants soon after the dinner.

“I’ll take a walk”, the Head of the Colony said, putting her grey road cloak on and pulling up the hood.

Keia felt that she needed to go. Her intuition, her internal power – _something -_ told her to go deep in the woods, to the left side of the mountain. The Force was whispering something as explanation, but that whisper was so quiet and low that she couldn’t understand anything. It was only a whisper.

Keia was climbing, leaning on her silver staff.  It wasn’t just an old artifact – it was the sign of her power. Keia was young, but she had been the Head of the Colony for a few years already. She wasn’t just talented, she was smart, and she was brave enough to take a risk when everyone was ready to give up. Yes, Keia was brave, and it helped her build one the best careers in the Colony’s history.

But Keia had something else that made her the best leader. She had the Force on her side, and the Force was the greatest ally she could ever have.

Keia stopped and examined the sky again. It was clear and pure, just like an hour ago, but something was wrong. Her feelings had never betrayed her.

A few moments later she saw a sparkle, and a great exposure that colored the sky in red color. It blinded her, and Keia closed her eyes. A loud noise was heard, and the sky seemed to have fallen apart into pieces. No, not like that. Something went to pieces, and when Keia opened her eyes again, she noticed the ship’s wreckage falling on the earth not far from her.

That’s what the Force was whispering to her. Somebody needed her help.

Keia scanned the place and ran ahead, hurrying. She felt a heartbeat, quiet, but strong, beating somewhere inside of her head. It didn’t belong to her, but the Force was projecting that rhythm to the girl, showing the patient she needed to save. She must save him. Keia was born to save other lives. Keia was running ahead, her hood thrown off, showing dark brown long hair.

She found a man baled out of the ship a few minutes later. It was impossible to recognize him; his breath was weak, his black long hair covered his face. The man must have been unconscious; he didn’t react when Keia stepped closer.

She fell on her knees to examine the patient. Keia noticed bleeding wound under the man’s right brow. A few burns and cuts had been pulsating on his skin. She scanned him again, searching for other damage. The man must have got a few fractures, but they weren’t that bad.

But there was something else that really scared Keia. The man had a big open wound on his side. Keia’s hands drowned in dark hot blood.

Bad blood…

“Help me!” Keia cried.

They needed to transport him to the hospital as fast as possible.

 

* * *

 

 

“How’s he?” asked Keia, entering the operating room.

She had changed her clothes and hid her long hair. Two medical droids were flying around the table, assisting doctors.

“Unstable. His vital signs are weak,” the nurse, a woman with bright eyes, reported. “We’re trying to stabilize him, but nothing works. The wound is too deep…”

Keia sighed. She looked at the patient and then turned her glance to the woman who was standing near. She was working too; her eyes fixed on the wound, her grey hair looked blue in artificial light, sweat glittered on her brown skin.

That woman, Pariah, was old and wise; she was the Head of the Colony before Keia replaced her. Keia was staring at her, trying to show all hope in that glance. Pariah was the only person Keia would listen and the only person who would bring her hope even it was clear, perfect lie.

Pariah’s eyes were cold. She shook her head.

“You know what I’m going to tell you. We can’t save him. You know it’s true.”

Keia looked at the patient again. His face was pale, but he looked calm and peaceful, just like he was watching dreams, nothing more. And that man was so young…

Keia touched his hair absent-mindedly.

“There’s another way to save him,” she murmured.

Pariah was wide-eyed in astonishment.

“You can’t do this!” she hissed at her former student. “You know you can’t!”

But Keia wasn’t listening. She stretched out her hand as if she was going to shake hands with her patient.

Pariah caught her arm immediately. She squeezed it so hard that Keia felt bright pain.

“Look at him!” Pariah glanced at the man. “We found a lightsaber lying beside that man. Look at his uniform. He’s the Sith or First Order fan… They’ll find us!”

“But he’s dying!” Keia cried back.

“People die every day,” Pariah muttered. She wasn’t tired now – she was angry. “It’s the main law of life. You can’t stop Death.”

Keia glanced at the patient again. The Force was pulsating inside of him, making him breath, making him fight till the very end. The Force kept whispering inside of her, and Keia finally understood that whisper. The Force was persuading her to make a decision.

She released her hand.

“I won’t let him die.”

Pariah continued arguing while Keia was rolling up her sleeves.

“You need to think about yourself…It’s too dangerous!” Pariah’s voice reflected anxiety now. “Even if he survives – he’ll drain you to death…”

Keia gave former teacher an angry look.

“Whatever you say, I’m going to save him. It’s not for you to decide. I’m the Head of this Colony now...”

She squeezed patient’s hand. It was deadly cold, but the Force was still there, living inside of him. Keia knew that perfectly. The Colony kept unique healing techniques, but nothing could be compared with the power of the Force.

Keia closed her eyes and focused on her feelings, creating a connection between them. She could feel man’s quiet heart as if it was her heart; she could sense his wound as if it was her wound; she could examine every burn and scar on his body. Keia made a deep breath, making her heart beating faster, making her blood run in her veins…

Her Force was boiling, ready to go, and Keia pushed that Force toward her patient. She was squeezing his hand so tight that it became numb. The operation table began shaking.

The staff made a few steps away, horrified. Nobody hid their shock. The Head of the Colony was breaking the main rule, the rule nobody dared to break. It was forbidden for them to use their own life energy for healing.

But Keia didn’t care about that. He had only one thought in her head.

_I won’t let him die._

The man’s heartbeat quickened - her heartbeat weakened. His blood changed its color, starting to coagulate. Her Force energy was leaving Keia, pouring into the man’s body. Keia was sharing her life power, trying to save the person she had never known.

The scar from the man’s face vanished, appearing on Keia’s face, like a flash, like a bright sparkle, and returned to its owner a second later.

Keia sighed, releasing her hand.

“Examine him,” she said weakly.

Nurse obeyed the order.

“His vital signs are returning to normal…”

Keia nodded and smiled. She was pale as death. After making a few forced steps, Keia looked down and examined herself. A big rounded wound was opening on her body, replicating the patient’s wound he had had a few minutes ago. The blood stain was showing up on her thin grey dress.

Keia fell to the cold floor and fainted.

 


	2. the Colony

Kylo woke up, taking a deep breath. He sat up in his bed, gulping air like a beached fish. His thoughts were a mess; Ren felt old tensive pain pulsating somewhere in his back and his head. His neck went numb as if he had slept for a very long time without moving.

No, not like that. It wasn’t pain; it was the memory of pain. Kylo threw the blanket off, examining himself. He was perfectly fine, although his scars seemed to be fresh.

And then he remembered. Kylo recalled destroyed ship and the smell of burning. He recalled falling and wrong numbers he had entered. Kylo knew he was trying to stop that falling, but nothing worked, and all what he managed to do was avoiding injuring himself by ship wreckage. After that his strength left him, and the Forth turned into quiet whisper.

The last thing he recalled was the face of a young woman, although he  had never seen her before. It felt like just like Ren saw her in his dreams…

The sound of broken china killed endless silence. Kylo looked up and noticed the nurse standing near the door. She looked confused. Heat touched her cheeks, and Ren felt that heat as if it was his own feeling. Ren’s senses were strong and clear, the Force inside of him was calm and balanced, and it was… strange.

He must have scared the young nurse. Kylo examined himself again. He was wearing a linen coarse shirt and pants which resembled padawan uniform. Ren broke the habit of wearing that kind of clothes, but there was nothing that could scare the nurse…

“Wait!” he cried, but she had already run away. The door behind the nurse closed, then opened again, hesitated and closed at last.

_Unlocked._

Kylo got up and examined the room. It was pointless to search for his saber there; Ren scanned the place, but didn’t sense the saber’s crystal anywhere. The room was empty, except for new clothes waiting for him in the wardrobe. Its fabric was black and resembled the First Order’s uniform; weird, but the costume fitted him. Somebody took care of Kylo, trying to give him as much comfort as possible.

Interesting. Who lived on that planet? Another Order’s supporter?

When Kylo had almost finished changing his clothes, he heard approaching steps from the corridor. They were heavy, confident, strong, belonging to a man. Kylo clenched his hands, realizing how unprotected he was at that moment. Luckily, a new wave of anger gave him some confidence. Kylo straightened up, changing position. His saber was lost, so the Force was his only ally now.

The door opened again, and Ren noticed a lean man with short grey hair.

“It’s great that you have found your clothes,” he said quietly, giving Ren a short glance. The man didn’t look confused or surprised. “We can go for a walk right now,” he added after a short pause.

It didn’t sound like an order, but Kylo sensed something planned in that words. Ren examined the room again. In the end, he had nothing to do there. He wasn’t a patient anymore.

When Ren joined the grey haired man, they crossed a little corridor and went outside. The air was fresh and smelled of trees. Kylo noticed big mountains covered with green on his right.

“I’m sorry, but we couldn’t save your old costume,” the man suddenly said. “It was damaged and partly burned, that's why we prepared a new uniform for you.”

Kylo wasn’t interested in that. He was examining the scenery carefully, trying to identify the planet and guess its coordinates.

“Where am I?” he asked shortly.

The man smiled. He pretended not to hear the question.

“I’m Lepius. I have served the Head of the Colony since the beginning of her reign.”

“The Colony? What Colony? I’ve never heard about you,” Kylo answered in a quite voice.

Lepius smiled.

“Of course you haven’t. We have been in exile for decades.”

They reached a massive stone building and went inside. Kylo guessed that it was some kind of a gallery. _The history room_ , he read in Lepius’s mind. The space was empty there too, except for a line of big portraits. Lepius pointed at the first one.

“The Colony was originally created by a group of people who carried old knowledge in medicine. They used and developed their skills for centuries, until the Sith stole some of their secrets...”

Kylo furrowed his brow. He knew about the power of the Sith medicine, but never thought that knowledge could be the stolen one.

“Why did you have to hide?” he asked. There was something else Ren couldn’t see yet.

Lepius smiled politely.

“We developed a complex technique that allowed healing wounds with the help of the Force and internal life energy. Its perspectives were endless, and the Sith wanted to use them too…”

“When did it happen?” Kylo demanded. He heard similar stories, but considered them to be myths. Legends. Forgotten tales.

Lepius smiled again, and Ren realized that the man was trying to hide his mind from him.

“The story is too complicated. In short, our kind was in mortal danger, and we had to vanish. Soon after the beginning of exile our leader,” he showed at another portrait, “found this place. We settled here and never left the planet since then. Of course, the Colony has changed after that. We need to invite new people if we want develop our knowledge. Time after time we begin to search for new students: we can easily sense the creatures with colorful strong talents...”

Their traditions, especially search for talented younglings reminded Kylo about the Jedi Order. Kylo examined Lepius carefully, scanning him, trying to feel something special in that man. In the end, he managed to sense the Force inside of him, although Lepius’s Force felt different.

“I’m surprised that the Sith hadn’t found you in decades,” Ren answered quietly. He was really impressed by that.

Lepius considered that note as a compliment.

“Our predecessors created a stable protection system,” he explained shortly. “It’s still working. The planet is hidden. If somebody tries to get here, he needs to enter the correct coordinates. It means that you need to know about the planet before visiting it. If you don’t know about this place, you’ll never get here.”

Kylo recalled the moment when he entered wrong numbers. That mistake saved his life.

Lepius must have been thinking about that too.

“We found you in the woods, not far away from here,” he added. They continued their way along the corridor. “You were badly injured. We managed to save you at the last moment.”

Kylo heard grief and despair in Lepius’s words. Something was wrong. Kylo frowned. Weird, but he didn’t feel any pain. Moreover, Ren was full of the Force and internal energy that was boiling inside of him. He felt calm. He felt peace.

 “I don’t feel anything wrong,” Ren confessed.

They stopped in front of the last portrait. Kylo glanced at it, recognizing the young woman from his dream.

“Of course, you’re not,” Lepius seemed to be tired now. “The Head of our Colony, Keia, risked her own life, saving you. Many people aren’t happy about that.”

Ren gave s start. The name of the woman reminded Kylo his mother’s name.

He looked at Lepius and asked his question directly.

“Why are you doing this?”

“What?” Lepius seemed to be confused.

“Explaining everything to me. I don’t understand it,” Kylo said.

The situation was weird. The man was talking about secrets and exile without any discomfort. What was wrong with him?

Lepius was surprised to hear that.

“I thought you know. Keia used a forbidden technique trying to save you. It created some sort of connection between two of you. She can sense your feelings now, and she knows everything about your skills...”

Lepius looked down, examining the stone floor.

“Keia says that you can take whatever you want, so…” he sighed, “… so we should give you everything. It’s safer for us to fulfill your orders.”

Kylo sighed. That’s why the nurse was afraid of him. Everybody was afraid of him there.

Everyone considered Ren to be a monster.

Kylo clenched his teeth.

Lepius pointed at the end of the corridor.

“When you get upstairs, you’ll sense her. She’s waiting for you,” he said shortly.

Kylo nodded, took a deep breath and continued his way alone.

The sound of his steps echoed in the corridor.


	3. Connected

He went upstairs, appearing at a big room, colorful and bright. The figure in a long grey cloak was standing near that glass wall, examining the scenery.

“I’m sorry if Lepius was too boring,” she said before Kylo thought of making a step ahead. “But I thought that a little excursion would be nice for you.”

She still didn’t turn. The silhouette painted by the sun was all what Ren could see. He didn’t like it, but he also couldn’t say anything against it.

Ren sighed.

“The excursion was good,” Kylo admitted. “Actually, I’ve heard something about you from my former teacher…”

 _My dead teacher,_ he added mentally.

“… but I thought that you had been exterminated, like many others at the time of Palpatine’s governing,” Kylo finished aloud.

“We became a part of a legend. It’s true,” Keia admitted. Ren noticed her nod. “We’re the part of old legends. Just like Jedi…”

The mention of that word irritated him. Kylo made a deep breath.

 “I’m not a Jedi,” he answered stubbornly, as if he was a child.

“I know,” the girl answered, and Ren sensed laugh in her voice. It was annoying too.

Ren sighed again and focused on his emotions and feelings. After all, he didn’t have time for conversations.

“You know why I’m here,” he said quietly. “I want my lightsaber back. I know that you keep it.”

Keia didn’t say anything.

“Where’s it?” Kylo demanded.

“Safest place I know,” she murmured. Keia turned and finally made a few steps to his side.

To Kylo’s amazement, the head of the Colony was much younger that he had expected. Her make-up, similar to Naboo’ traditional style, hid her true age and her features.

Keia stepped closer, and her cloak rustled across the floor.

Kylo scanned the girl, found the saber and laughed. His laugh didn’t sound kind.

“I see... Do you have a problem with trust?”

She suddenly smiled to him. Unlike Ren, there was nothing that could irritate the girl.

“We both have a problem with trust, don’t we?”

Keia slightly opened her cloak , unfastened the saber from her belt and returned it to Kylo.

Now, when Ren could examine Keia in full, he saw that hew make-up looked cracked. It was hiding her pale, bloodless face, but it couldn’t cover glittering sweat on her forehead. Without asking permission, Kylo stretched out his hand, opened Keia’s cloak and glanced at her body. She was wearing a bandage.

Ren finally realized what had happened. Keia supplied him with her life energy, her Force, her health and her power. That’s why Kylo stopped feeling pain, and his senses tasted different now.

“We exchanged our life energies,” he guessed. “You gave me your heath, taking back my pain. Your wound is identical to mine. You… transmitted it.”

“We had no time for anything else,” she confessed, serious now.

“That’s why you ran from the Sith,” Kylo guessed again.

The situation was much more serious than everyone tried to show.

Keia nodded.

“Yes. They wanted to drain us, renewing their life energy. In their opinion, it looked like the solution of their main problem. The Sith weren’t interested in healing…”

“They were interested in immortality…”  Ren finished.

The girl nodded again. The understanding between two of them was almost magical.

“The Sith wanted to use our knowledge in order to get constant regeneration. Endless life. It’s the simplest way to get immortality.”

Kylo imagined Palpatine and Snoke, two dark damaged figures. It was easy to imagine them seeking that information. Keia was right: they would drain others’ Force and life energy till the last drop.

Then Kylo suddenly thought about his grandfather. Darth Vader had been suffering from constant, horrible pain for decades. He lived in real hell, his every breath was an agony, his nightmares were inevitable and cruel.

Suddenly the Sith’ desires stopped looking so bad. Kylo felt anger, growing somewhere inside of him. He was filled with Keia’s life energy, but he wasn’t calm. Perhaps, the girl had some dark secrets too.

“You betrayed everyone,” he said, releasing his anger. “You ran away from the world, like a pack of rats, and barricaded yourself from the inside. You could save some many lives – and you didn’t…”

The Colony wasn’t as good and simple as he thought. They were monsters too. They were…

He clenched his fists, trying to keep the anger under control. It hardly worked.

Keia sighed. He started annoying her.

She made the last step closer and looked him in the eye.

“It was too dangerous to let the Sith know our secrets. Just imagine the world where Palpatine lives forever…”

“Palpatine is dead!” Kylo cried, unable to stop himself. “And my grandfather…”

She didn’t want to listen to Kylo’s words - Keia dared to interrupt Ren. She wasn’t afraid of him. Not at all.

“Nobody could save your grandfather. He lost his extremities; his wounds were too severe. And I’m sorry,” she added quietly, “but his recovery was impossible. And you shouldn’t react on it like that. Anakin saved his soul - he is free now…”

Kylo was staring at her, breathing heavily, searching for something inside of her eyes. In the end, he just nodded.

“Your energy is so strong,” he said finally, defeated. He would never calm down so fast without her energy. He had to admit that.

A new idea came to his mind.

“You shouldn’t waste your time by sitting here," he began saying, "You could start training and become…”

A mild smile appeared on Keia’s face. She knew what he was going to say.

“I’m not a Jedi, and I have never wanted to follow that way.”

Kylo shook his head.

“It’s not the only way…”

What he was going to suggest her? To become her new teacher? It had never  worked...

“You don’t understand,” she began to explain. “The Force has unlimited power, and we all have so many ways to follow. You can’t divide the world in two parts. The light, the Dark Side… The Force is much bigger than that. You can be whatever you want to be. There are no borders to stop you.”

Keia smiled again. Kylo sensed her confidence and joy. It was so catchy.

“I’m not a warrior and not a Jedi,” she said after a pause. “I found my place in this world. I hope you’ll find yours.”

The girl stood on tiptoe and touched his cheek.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have time to take your scar,” Keia confessed with another chuckle. “It doesn’t suit me, after all. It’s better for you to wear it.”

Then Keia made a step back.

He had to admit that he had some compassion for her.

“What’s about our connection?” Kylo asked, recalling the beginning of their conversation. 

Keia made a step back to the glass wall.

“I still can sense your feelings, but it’ll pass in a day or too, when you recover completely,” she answered. “Your Force will return to you in full power.”

“And the physical connection? What’s about it?” Kylo asked.

Keia’s smile vanished.

“I can break the mental connection,” her voice became quiet again. “Unfortunately, I can’t do the same with life energy.”

If he were wounded again, she would feel it too. It also meant…

“Yes,” she answered the question he hadn’t asked yet. “You can use my life energy if you want to. You can even drain me, like the Sith. I won’t be able to stop it.”

That idea drove Kylo crazy. If he could drain her, he could…

“But I need to remind you something,” she heard his thoughts again. Kylo gave a start, ashamed of it.

“If you kill me, it’ll kill you too. You’ll be able to sense my pain, and you’ll definitely sense Death. I’ll tear you apart.”

Keia returned to the window. Kylo followed her.

“What’s about your wound, then?” he asked. “Will you recover?”

 _His would_ , if to be precise.

She smiled again.

“Yes, but it takes time. I’ll be all right… don’t worry.”

Keia asked him to go closer, to the window. The conversation was going to its end.

“The runway is situated here,” Keia showed him the way to follow. “I’ve already gave an order to prepare a ship for you. It’s ready for a flight.”

Ren looked at her. Keia risked her people, trying to save his life. She was a brave little woman, and although that girl was very young, she was much wiser than him.

“Thank you,” he said before leaving.

Keia continued to stay near the window, watching Kylo leave.


End file.
